Canteen Cooling Apparatus and Method

ABSTRACT

A canteen cooling apparatus of the present disclosure has a cavity for holding a canteen. The cavity has a sleeve with a first layer and a second layer. The apparatus further has an inlet coupled to the second layer that receives a medium from a medium injection apparatus and an envelope created between the first and second layers that receives the medium and delivers the medium to the canteen in the cavity.

BACKGROUND

Typically, canteens are used to hold liquid, and when a user of the canteen gets thirsty, he can drink the liquid to rehydrate. Oftentimes, canteens are used outdoors when the outside temperature is extremely hot.

Liquid initially placed in the canteen may be cool. However, the liquid will not remain cool when the outside temperature is extremely hot. Liquid that is in the canteen will, over time, heat up, because the environment heats up the canteen, which in turn heats up the liquid.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a canteen cooling apparatus and method for use to cool liquid contained in the canteen

A canteen cooling apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a cavity for holding a canteen. The cavity has a sleeve with a first layer and a second layer. The apparatus further has an inlet coupled to the second layer that receives a medium from a medium injection apparatus and an envelope created between the first and second layers that receives the medium and delivers the medium to the canteen in the cavity.

A method in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure comprises detachably coupling a medium injection apparatus to a sleeve forming a cavity, the sleeve for receiving a canteen, the medium injection apparatus having a medium that is compressed at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure and injecting the medium from the medium injection apparatus to the cavity thereby adjusting the temperature of a liquid within the canteen that is inserted in the sleeve.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily to scale relative to each other, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the disclosure. Furthermore, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a canteen and a canteen cooling apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the canteen inserted in the canteen cooling apparatus such as depicted in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the canteen inserted in the canteen cooling apparatus taken across line A-A′ depicted in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart depicting an exemplary method in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure generally pertains to apparatuses and methods for adjusting the temperature of a canteen, i.e., increasing or decreasing the temperature of the canteen, thereby controlling the temperature of a liquid within the canteen. For simplicity, the apparatus disclosed herein is described with reference to cooling the liquid within the canteen. Notably, however, it may be desirous to increase the temperature of the liquid within the canteen also.

In accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a canteen is contained within a canteen cooling apparatus. A medium injection apparatus is detachably coupled to the canteen cooling apparatus via an inlet. In one embodiment, the medium injection apparatus is a can of compressed air or some other cooling and/or heating medium.

The medium injection apparatus is actuated while the medium injection apparatus is coupled to the canteen cooling apparatus. The medium, e.g., cold air, travels from the medium injection apparatus through the inlet and into an interior region within the canteen cooling apparatus. By virtue of the cold air within the interior region, the temperature of the canteen contained in the canteen cooling apparatus decreases thereby decreasing the temperature of the liquid contained in the canteen cooling apparatus.

FIG. 1 depicts a canteen 10 and a canteen cooling apparatus 12. The canteen cooling apparatus 12 comprises a sleeve 13 that forms a cavity 25 for encompassing the canteen 10. The canteen cooling apparatus 12 further comprises tabs 14 and 16 for securely retaining the canteen 10 within the cavity 25 of the sleeve 13.

In this regard, each tab 14 and 16 comprises a snap 18 and 20, respectively. In one embodiment, the snaps 18 and 20 are male snap protrusions. Further, the sleeve 13 comprises two snaps 22 and 24. In one embodiment, the snaps 22 and 24 are female snap receptacles. In order to retain the canteen 10 within the cavity 25, the snaps 18 and 20 mate with the snaps 22 and 24. Once the snaps 18 and 20 and 22 and 24 are coupled, the canteen 10 remains in the cavity 25 without risk of falling out of the cavity 25.

The sleeve 13 further comprises an inlet 29. The inlet 29 has an opening 37 for receiving a medium injection apparatus (not shown), which is described further with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

In one embodiment, the inlet 29 is a hollow cylindrical protrusion that extends from the sleeve 13. However, other types of inlets are possible in other embodiments. For example, the sleeve 13 may have a receptacle that does not protrude for receiving the medium injection apparatus.

During use, a user (not shown) slides the canteen 10 into an opening 26 of the cavity 25 until the canteen 10 is fully inserted within the cavity 25, as shown in FIG. 2. Once the canteen 10 is inserted within the cavity 25, the user couples the snaps 18 and 20 to the snaps 22 and 24, respectively, thereby securing the canteen 10 within the cavity 25. Thus, the canteen cooling apparatus 12 retains the canteen 10 within the cavity 25 formed by the sleeve 13.

FIG. 2 shows the canteen 10 when it is secured within the cavity 25 of the canteen cooling apparatus 12. In this regard, the canteen 10 is fully inserted in the cavity 25 and the snaps 18 and 20 are secured to the corresponding snaps 22 (FIG. 1) and 24 (FIG. 1).

In addition, FIG. 2 depicts a medium injection apparatus 23 containing a medium 36. In one embodiment, the medium 36 is pressurized air. However, other types of mediums are possible in other embodiments of the present disclosure.

In one exemplary embodiment the medium injection apparatus 23 comprises a spray can 80 having a nozzle 81. The cooling medium 36 is contained within the spray can 80 and is under a pressure that is greater than atmospheric pressure. For example, in one embodiment, the cooling medium 36 is under a pressure of about 160-180 pounds per square inch (psi) when measured at an ambient temperature of 130 degrees F. Many conventional spray cans of compressed air or other media are manufactured with contents at about 100 to 200 psi when measured at an ambient temperature of 130 degrees F., and any known or future-developed spray can be used to implement the medium injection apparatus 23. Such spray cans often include a refrigerant. In one embodiment, the cooling medium 36 contained within the medium injection apparatus 23 is composed, at least partially, of difluoroxthane. For example, the medium in the apparatus 23 may be a compressed mixture of air and difluoroxthane. Further, other types of devices and other pressures are also possible in other embodiments.

In the embodiment depicted by FIG. 2, the apparatus 23 comprises a removable hollow straw 21 that detachably couples the nozzle 81 to the inlet 29. The tip of the straw 21 and the inlet 29 are dimensioned such that the inlet 29 fits around an outer periphery of the straw tip. Various other techniques for interfacing the apparatus 23 and the inlet 29 are possible in other embodiments. Indeed, the use of a straw 21 is unnecessary, and the inlet 29 may be detachably coupled to the nozzle 81 in some other manner. For example, the nozzle 81 may be interfaced directly with the inlet 29.

During operation, the user inserts the straw 21 into the opening 37 of the inlet 29. The user depresses a button 39 for actuating the nozzle 81 of the medium injection apparatus 23. Upon depression of the button 39, the medium injection apparatus 23 injects the medium 36 (not shown) into the canteen cooling apparatus 13 through the straw 21 and the inlet 29.

Notably, the medium 36 flows from the can 80, through the nozzle 81, through the tube 21, through the inlet 29 and into the canteen cooling apparatus 12. The medium is dispersed throughout the canteen cooling apparatus 12, thereby cooling the canteen contained with the sleeve 13 of the canteen cooling apparatus 12. As the canteen 10 cools due to the medium 36 within the canteen cooling apparatus 12, liquid (not shown) contained in the canteen 10 is cooled, as described further with reference to FIG. 3.

Note that the user can decrease the temperature of the medium 36 that exits the can 80. In this regard, as the user rotates the can 80 in a direction indicated by reference arrow 90, the temperature of the medium, e.g., air, exiting the can 80 decreases.

FIG. 3 depicts a cross-sectional view of the canteen cooling apparatus 12 taken along line A-A′ (FIG. 2) of the sleeve 13. The sleeve 13 of the canteen cooling apparatus 12 comprises an outer layer 31 that has been melded with an inner layer 32 to form the cavity 25. The melding is not depicted in FIG. 3; however, such melding and processes for melding the layers 31 and 32 may be done using any type of melding process known in the art or future developed.

Note that the layers 31 and 32 may be made of a polyvinyl chloride. However, the layers 31 and 32 may be made of other types of materials in other embodiments of the canteen cooling apparatus 12.

Further note that FIG. 3 depicts the layers 31 and 32 for forming the canteen cooling apparatus 12. However, an additional layer (not shown) made, for example, of a durable canvas material may cover the layers 31 and 32 so that the layers 31 and 32 are protected from the environment.

The outer layer 31 and the inner layer 32 form an envelope 82 that is airtight except for a plurality of apertures 40 in the inner layer 32 and except for the inlet 29. The inlet 29 allows the medium 36, such as cooled or heated air, to enter the envelope 82.

Once the medium 36 enters the envelope 82, the apertures 40 allow the medium 36 to exit the envelope 82 flowing into a space 34 formed between then canteen 10 inserted within the cavity 25 of the sleeve 13 and the inner layer 32.

In the embodiment depicted by FIG. 3, the inlet 29 is hollow and open at both ends 41 and 42 such that a medium may be injected into the end 41 and pass into the envelope 82 through the end 42.

In operation, the user (not shown) inserts the straw 21 that is coupled to the nozzle 81 of the can 80 into the opening 37 of the end 41 of the inlet 29. The medium 36 is injected by the can 80 (FIG. 2) and the nozzle 81 (FIG. 2) through the straw 21 (FIG. 2) and into the end 41 of the inlet 29 when the button 39 (FIG. 2) is depressed by the user. The medium 36, e.g., cooled air, fills up the envelope 82 and transfers to the space 34 of the cavity 25 thereby cooling the liquid 30 within the canteen 10.

As the envelope 82 fills up with the medium 36, pressure formed within the envelope 82 by the medium 36 forces the medium 36 out the openings 40 in the inner layer 32. The medium 36 fills up the space 34 between the canteen 10 and the inner layer 32 thereby cooling the canteen 10. When the canteen 10 is cooled by the cooled medium 36, liquid 30 within the canteen 10 cools.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart depicting an exemplary method in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method comprises the steps of detachably coupling a medium injection apparatus 23 (FIG. 2) to a sleeve 13 (FIG. 2) forming a cavity 25 (FIGS. 1 and 3). The sleeve 13 receives a canteen 10 (FIG. 1) and the medium injection apparatus 23 is filled with a medium 36 (FIG. 3) that is compressed at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, as indicated in step 50.

In addition, the method comprises injecting the medium 36 from the medium injection apparatus 23 to the cavity 25 thereby cooling the liquid 30 (FIG. 3) within the canteen 10 that is inserted in the sleeve 13, as indicated in step 51. 

1. A canteen temperature adjusting apparatus, comprising: a cavity for holding a canteen, the cavity comprised of a sleeve having a first layer and a second layer; an inlet coupled to the second layer, the inlet for receiving a medium from a medium injection apparatus; and an envelope created between the first and second layers for receiving the medium and delivering the medium to the canteen in the cavity.
 2. The canteen temperature adjusting apparatus, wherein the medium cools the canteen in the cavity.
 3. The canteen cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first layer comprises a plurality of openings for delivering the medium to the cavity.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein the air inlet is a hollow cylindrical tube.
 5. The device of claim 4, wherein the medium injection apparatus comprises a straw that couples to the tube for delivering the medium to the cavity.
 6. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the layers is comprised of polyvinyl chloride.
 7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a third layer made of a durable canvas.
 8. The device of claim 1, wherein the medium injection apparatus comprises a spray can.
 9. A method, comprising the steps of: detachably coupling a medium injection apparatus to a sleeve forming a cavity, the sleeve for receiving a canteen, the medium injection apparatus having a medium that is compressed at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure; and injecting the medium from the medium injection apparatus to the cavity thereby adjusting the temperature of a liquid within the canteen that is inserted in the sleeve.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the medium injection apparatus is a spray can.
 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the injecting step further comprises cooling the liquid.
 12. The method of claim 9, wherein the injecting step comprises transferring the medium from an envelope created by a first and second layer of the sleeve through a plurality of openings in the first layer.
 13. The method of claim 9, wherein the detachably coupling step comprises inserting a straw into an air inlet formed in the sleeve.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the detachably coupling step further comprises coupling the straw to a can of pressurized medium.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the medium is air.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the medium comprises a refrigerant.
 17. The method of claim 9, wherein the sleeve is comprised of a first and second layer of polyvinyl chloride.
 18. An apparatus, comprising: a sleeve for receiving a canteen, the sleeve forming a cavity and having a first layer an a second layer; and means positioned between the first layer and the second layer for transferring a medium to the cavity thereby altering a temperature of the cavity when a medium injection apparatus is coupled to the means. 